China has developed a new hypersonic weapons capability that could allow its military to target high-value aircraft thousands of kilometres away, according to a Bloomberg report citing a person with direct knowledge of the development.
The reported capability involves hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) that can launch air-to-air weapons. Such a system could potentially threaten aircraft that normally operate far behind the frontline, including aerial refuelling tankers, airborne early-warning and control aircraft and flying command posts.
Hypersonic Weapon Capability
HGVs are designed to travel through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds while being able to manoeuvre during flight. This combination of speed and manoeuvrability can make them more difficult to intercept than conventional ballistic missile warheads.
A hypersonic glide vehicle launched from China’s DF-17 missile is reported to have a range of around 2,414 kilometres. China’s more advanced DF-27 is estimated to have a maximum range of approximately 8,000 kilometres, potentially bringing targets as far away as Hawaii within its reach.
Threat to US Support Aircraft
The reported development could be particularly significant for US military operations because support aircraft are generally positioned away from direct combat zones. Tankers and airborne command-and-control aircraft are essential for extending the range and effectiveness of fighter aircraft.
Aircraft such as the US Air Force’s E-4B Nightwatch, which serves as an airborne command post, could potentially face greater risks if China is able to reliably track and engage such targets at extreme distances.
Significant Challenges Remain
Despite the potential threat, using a ballistic-missile-derived system against a moving aircraft over thousands of kilometres would be technically challenging. The missile would require highly accurate and continuously updated information about the aircraft’s location.
The long targeting chain could provide opportunities for an adversary to disrupt the system. There is also a major escalation risk because a ballistic missile launch could potentially be misinterpreted as a nuclear attack.
The reported development is part of China’s broader effort to expand the roles of its rapidly growing missile arsenal. It also highlights an emerging competition between China and the United States over increasingly long-range air-to-air weapons and the ability to protect high-value aircraft in a future conflict.
